Decision details

Reducing Parental Conflict is a national programme led by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) designed to help practitioners support families experiencing conflict by providing tools and strategies to specifically focus on the parents’ relationship and communication skills. This enables parents to be able to proactively care for their children, establish a consistent, clear routine, provide a stimulating, nurturing environment, emotional security, warmth and respect and role model healthy relationships.
The proposed post of Reducing Parental Conflict Development Officer is to deliver bespoke Reducing Parental Conflict (RPC) training to partner agencies, develop partnership practice and confidence using RPC principles, and advise partners about resources and interventions to help families resolve parental conflict.
Extending the hours of the Stronger Relationships Manager from 0.5 to 0.7 FTE will enable strategic development, partnership working with key services and the third sector, establish a pro-active and engaged steering group to help drive and embed RPC, create practical resources and bespoke training support packages

RESOLVED - That: a fixed term Grade 5 post of RPC Development Officer be created for 18 months, and the working hours of the Stronger Relationships Manager be increased from 0.5 to 0.7 FTE until 31 March 2024.

Option 1 - Do not create this post.
Option 2 - Create the fixed term secondment post of RPC Development Officer and extend the working hours of Stronger Relationships Manager

Option 1 was rejected. Without creation of the Reducing Parental Conflict Development Officer post there will be insufficient capacity to work with
partners to embed a culture of recognising and working with families who are experiencing conflict, and these cases will likely then escalate into demand on Children’s Services. Without extending the working hours of the Stronger Relationships Manager there will be insufficient capacity to deliver against the commitments made to DWP in the rollout of this programme.

Children’s Services Directorate Management Team
have been consulted on the proposals.